Details

• Canada
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

Personally I think the first important step is to check if you need a visa or a specific travel document to enter the country of your exchange. In my case we got a lot information from our partner university. They guided us a lot, sending us information emails, regarding housing, entering the country or information on the enrollment and choices of courses. Additionally they held online meetings, where they answered all questions that were still open. A big recommendation is too book the flights in advance because they might get way more expensive over time. Another thing you might want to consider is getting a visa or form of travel document that allows you to work in Toronto. Most of the exchange students only got ETA´s, which forbid you from working in Ontario. During your exchange tho, there may open up exciting new job opportunities, you can only take advantage of, if you have the right kind of visa. Changing your travel document or getting a work permit often takes months to process in Canada, thats why it is important to think about that before going there. Because it might be to late, during your semester.

2. Accommodation

At first I was struggling to find the perfect accommodation for my stay in Toronto. Our Exchange coordinator from our Partner University gave us a lot of resources, so we were able to search for a fitting residence. I found some good apartments on and off campus, the best in my opinion were on airbnb, also because you may get a discount for a longer stay. In my case an opportunity opened up, because friends of my parents live in Toronto and I contacted them to get more information or recommendations. But then they offered me a room in their house because they have enough space and one of their kids moved out because of university. We still ended up paying them but it was significantly cheaper than living in a student accommodation. Additionally I already knew them very well and they helped me every time i had any issues or problems. They were so nice and I am incredible grateful that i had this opportunity. I chose to live near university in uptown. It took me only 5 mins to drive to university which i can only recommend when you have classes everyday. Although all activities happened in downtown. From uptown to downtown it takes one approximately 1 hour, because the ttc (public transport of Toronto) is delayed almost every time. So if you plan on scheduling your courses on two or three days a week, it might be more convenient to live in downtown. But be aware the rent prices are way more expensive directly in downtown. Regarding safety i have to say Toronto is a pretty safe city. Even though a lot of homeless people are wandering around you are safe as long as you do not interact with them. Especially if you take the public transport it is important to be aware of people who might be on any kind of substance.

3. Academic life at host university

In comparison to the WU campus the York University one is way bigger and has a few more things to offer. Like a own little mall with tons of restaurants, a gym on campus plus a hockey rink, football stadium and so on. Academic culture also differs in Toronto. The Focus in Schulich lays especially on group work, presentations and assignments. Professors also tend to take a closer look at participation and classes are more interactive. Personally I really enjoyed all classes i took but the best one was by far project management. Because there were guest speakers and I learned the most in this course.

5. Every day life in the host country

The public transport in Toronto gets you everywhere from up to downtown, although when it´s snowing or raining you have to plan in an extra 30 to 40 minutes, due to the fact that streetcars and the subway drive way slower during specific weather conditions. However planning in extra time to get to your destination is always helpful because the ttc (Toronto public transport) is late most of the time. The safety situation is similar to Vienna, the city is pretty safe, but there are a lot of homeless people or people who are seemingly consuming substances in public, especially in downtown or in the ttc. If you are aware of your surroundings this shouldn´t be a problem. The partner university organizes a few events as well as a welcome day with other students in the beginning of the semester. It is also possible for students of the York university to attend sports games for free with a student-id.

6. Testimonial

It was an adventurous, funny but very cold semester. Between classes and working on assignments, I found friends for life. I made unforgettable memories and explored a beautiful city and culture. Moreover I am so thankful for this opportunity to grow both academically and personally.